Ruth Rendell Author Biography
British Mystery Writer aka Barbara Vine Known for Inspector Wexford
Nov 10, 2007
Ruth Rendell- Background Information
Ruth Rendell is an extremely prolific British mystery writer. She is the winner of three Edgar awards—one for the novel A Dark Adapted Eye (1987) and for two short stories-The Fallen Curtain (1975) and The New Girl Friend. (1984) She has also received numerous other awards for her work.
Ruth Rendell, born in 1930 in London, began a career in journalism before embarking on a long and highly successful writing career. She is a good friend of well-known British mystery author P.D. James. Active in British politics, she was made a life peer in 1997 and appointed Baroness Rendell of Babergh.
The Inspector Wexford Series
Rendell is well-known for her long-running Inspector Wexford series. The first Wexford novel, From Doon with Death was published in 1964. To date, there are 21 books in the series. Wexford’s partner, Mike Burden, plays Watson to Wexford’s perceptive, Sherlock Holmes-type character, helping him to solve complex and puzzling crimes.
In the series, Rendell also draws out Wexford and his prim and proper partner, Burden's personal life, which adds a personal touch. Wexford has a loving wife, Dora, and two daughters. The daughters, Shelia, a glamorous aspiring actress, and Sylvia, who leads a more conventional life as wife and mother and career woman, are both a joy and bewilderment to the aging Wexford. Throughout the series, his younger partner Burden also has his personal trials as he become a widow and remarries.
Ms. Rendell's Non-Wexford Single Title Mysteries
Ms. Rendell also writes single title mysteries under her own name, Ruth Rendell, which are not part of the Wexford series. Many of these, such as A Judgment in Stone, reflect social issues such as illiteracy.
In many of the Rendell books, the main character is sympathetic, even though he or she views the world in a warped manner that makes the character both criminal and victim. A good example of this is Live Flesh. The main character, Victor Jenner, a troubled man who suffers from a nervous tic and a phobia of turtles, permanently cripples a policeman in an unfortunate shoot-out. Released from prison, he attempts to make amends by befriending the policeman. His good intentions soon go sour as he begins to blame the cop for his own situation. He rationalizes stealing the cop's girlfriend and generally wrecking the life of the very person he was trying to compensate. Like most of her work, the book is filled with clever, ironic twists.
Psychological Mysteries written under the pen name Barbara Vine
Under the pen name Barbara Vine, Ruth Rendell also writes complex psychological mysteries. Like the single-title Rendells, these books encompass themes such as obsessive love and go deeper into the workings of the criminal mind. The Barbara Vines are more confessional in nature than her other works, and usually center around some dark secret from the past that haunts a certain person or family. Some of her earlier Barbara Vine titles include A Dark Adapted Eye, A Fatal Inversion, and The House of Stairs.
Ruth Rendell's Newest Releases
Quite a few of her books have been made into movies. In addition, The Inspector Wexford Series, starring George Baker, aired on BBC. Some of her earlier work has recently been shown on PBS Mystery. A DVD set, which includes these works, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Set I, is available from Amazon.
Some of her more recent single-title Ruth Rendell works include 13 steps Down and The Rottweiler., The Water's Lovely. Other current books include The Minotaur (Barbara Vine) and The Babes in the Wood and Not in the Flesh. (Inspector Wexford)
Click this link for a review of The Water's Lovely
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